County's senior planner to take a job in Maine

Wednesday, September 04, 2013 - Updated: 11:27 AM

FONDA -- Montgomery County Senior Planner Douglas Greene tendered his resignation Tuesday, effective Sept. 20. He has accepted a new position as Auburn city planner in Maine.

"[It] will allow my wife and I to achieve a dream we've had for some time to move there," he said.

Greene has been employed by Montgomery County for seven years. He said some of his favorite projects included work with Fort Plain for its Military Road trail, Fonda and its proposed waterfront park, and preparing the state property buyout applications for Florida town residents forced from their homes by flooding two years ago.

"Doug has been a tremendous asset to both this department and the county," said Ken Rose, director of the economic development and planning department. "He worked on many projects with various communities throughout the county, and brought a depth of knowledge on community planning that will be missed. I wish him and his family nothing but the best in his new position."

Before he leaves, Greene said he'll finish a project requested by the Department of State for write-ups on a number of Main Street coordination projects.

"It's been an ongoing process for a lot of these projects, so my hope is the county will bring someone else in to keep working on them," Greene said. "There needs to be more support for this department, and for localities who need help with grant writing and community development -- whether it comes from the state, or somewhere else."

Greene touted his ongoing work on waterfront revitalization projects.

"The state is starting to get interested in other ways to support local communities," Greene said "If the work and lobbying I've done leads to more on-the-ground support, I think that's a major accomplishment."

One project Greene will be sad to walk away from is the state's Community Reconstruction Zone initiative.

The initiative was designed following natural disasters during the past two years to implement locally created and federally funded strategies for rebuilding and strengthening communities against future extreme weather.

Montgomery County, the city and town of Amsterdam, and the town of Florida will each be eligible for up to $3 million in grants under the planning program.

"I was really looking forward to the chance to bring in other planners into the area," Greene said. "I enjoyed working with all local leaders, who are trying to do the best they can under difficult circumstances."